Device for opening cans



Dec. 13, 1938.

H. L. DAZEY DEVICE FOR OPENING CANS Filed March 27, 1935 Patented Dec. 13, 1938 UNiTED STATES DEVICE FOR OPENING OANS Harry L. Dazey, Clayton, Mo., assignor to Dazey Churn & Manufacturing 00., St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application March 27,

17 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for opening cans and more particularly for opening cans wherein a removable or rip strip is provided.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a means, simple in operation and durable in construction, for removing the rip strip from a can, whereby to open the same.

It is a further object of this invention to provide means for engaging this strip and for twisting the same off of the can in a ready manner and with the chance of breaking the strip reduced to a minimum.

A further object of the invention is'to provide means to wind the aforesaid strip off of the can and, at the same time, to accommodate for the increasing thickness of the winding of the strip.

A further object is to provide guide means for engaging the can and directing the movement of the can opener around the can, or revolving the 20 can when the opener is held stationary.

A further object is to provide a base member having a crank rotatable thereon, and means on the crank for engaging a strip whereby the same may be wound off the can.

A further object is to provide a base member, and a crank mounted thereon, the crank being slidable on the member to accommodate for increase in thickness of the winding on the crank member.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is a plan View of one form of the device. 7

Fig. 2 is an elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a second form of the device.

Fig. 5 is an elevation view of the device of Fig. 4, shown partly in section.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a third modification of the device.

Fig. '7 is an elevation of the device of Fig. 6.

Referring more particularly to the modification of Fig. 1, In indicates a can having a rip strip element I I that may be removed whereby to open the can, said strip having an end tab portion 12 that is designed to be engaged by a strip remover, commonly referred to as a key, and familiarly found on sardine cans.

The present invention includes a bifurcated stem or core member l3 between the prongs of which the tab I2 may be engaged. The stem 13 constitutes one end of a crank having at its other end a handle l4 that may be integrally or removably formed therewith. The crank is journaled in a collar bearing [5, the collars of which preclude axial movement of the crank. This 1935, Serial No. 13,212

bearing is formed on a part of a U-shaped base member it that laps back across the stem l3, as at H, to form an additional bearing and beyond the bearing I1 is secured to a handle it. Extending adjacent the bearing I! on the mem- 5 ber 16 are two laterally extending shoulder portions 19 having depending abutments 29 that may be engaged with the top portion of the side of the can.

In the operation of this device, the bifurcated 10 stem I3 is engaged over tab 12. The U-shaped base member I6 is rested on the top edge of the can and the abutment 2?) may be urged against the adjacent side portion of the can to engage therewith as shown in Fig. 1. With one hand 15 holding the device against the can by means of the handle it, the crank I 4 is rotated, winding the strip Ii around the stem 53. During this operation the tendency of the can is to rotate about the axis of stem 13. This, however, is pre- 0 vented by the action of the shoulder members It and abutments 2il,'one of which will engage the rim of the can to prevent such rotation and thereby the stem I3 exerts an unwinding pull on the rip strip. As the winding of strip ll becomes '25 thicker and thicker on stem i3, the stem will be forced backwardly from the can. However the U-shaped element i6 is extended beyond the abutments 20 suiiicientiy to accommodate for this change. As the rip strip is removed from the can 30 it is wound around the stem i3, when it is entirely wound off the can and is coiled onto the stem, it may be readily slipped off the free end thereof in its easily disposable compact coil.

The modification shown in Figs. 4 and 5 is sim- '35 ilar in construction to that above described. In this modification, the bifurcated stem I3 is mounted in a journal i5 and likewise supported in a second journal I! both of which journals are in the U-shaped element l6. It will be ob- "40 served in this device as in the above described one that the journal I5 is of the collar type to prevent axial movement of the stem I3. In the modification of Figs. 4 and 5, however, the U- shaped member I6 is slidably mounted upon a base member 24 that is fixed into the handle I8.

As shown, ears 25 on the member it are turned around the base 24 to maintain the member I6, Member 24 contains a slot 26 to receive the stem i3. Upon the outer end of the base member-24 is a shoulder forming portion 21 having over.- hanging abutment portions 28. The shoulder portion 21 engages the top of the can and abutment elements 28 overhang along the top portion of the side of the can.

In the operation of this form of the device, the tab of the strip I I is engaged between the prongs of the bifurcated stem l3, with the shoulder portion 21 and abutments 28 engaging the top edge of the can as shown. The handle I8 is held so that these shoulders and abutments are maintained in this position radially of the can. With the other hand, the crank I4 is rotated, winding the strip II off of the can and at the same time causing the can to rotate, it being guided by shoulder 21 and abutments 28. As more and more of strip II is wound onto stem I3, the increasing thickness of the winding will force the stem farther and farther away from the side of the can I0. In this modification of the invention, this is compensated by slidably mounting the stem I3 on the element 24, the slot 26 permitting movement of the stem away from abutments 28; and thus the disposition of shoulder 21 and abutments 28 relative to the can is unaffected by the increasing thickness of the winding on stem I3 and the handle I8 will remain radial with respect to the can. After the rip strip has been entirely wound oif the can and coiled around the stem it may readily be removed from the stem I3 in its compact coil form.

In themodification shown in Figs. 6 and 7 a base member 39 is adapted to engage the top portion and upper side portion of the can. It will be seen to have overhanging portions 3| that will engage the side of the can by means of depressions 3Ia, and depressed portions 32 in the top portion will engage the top of the can around the bead at the edge thereof. Slide channels 33 are mounted and supported on the clamp device 30. Slidable in the slide channels 33 is a slide device 34 having shoulders 35 at one end to prevent its being removed, and a U-shaped portion at the other end. A stem 36, terminating at its upper end in a crank handle 39, is journaled at 31 and 38 in the U-shaped slide device 34.

The operation of device is as follows:

The base member 30 is engaged over the bead of the can In with bifurcated stem element 36 engaging the tab of strip I I. The depending portion of the clamp-like device, and more particularly its depressed portion 3Ia, engages the side of the can and portions 32 engage the top thereof. Crank 39 is then rotated and the strip I I is wound off the can, which action causes the clamp device 30 to travel around the bead of the can, it being maintained thereon by the configuration of the base member. As the thickness of the winding of strip I I on stem 36 increases, the stem will be forced outwardly from the side of the can. This is compensated by the slide mounting 33 of element 34, which operates without changing the relation between the base member and the can. Of course it will be understood that the shoulder portions 35 prevent complete removal of the U- shaped element 34 from the slides 33. As in the previously described devices, the rip strip, after having been coiled onto stem 36, may be easily slipped off the free end thereof in a com-- pact, disposable coil.

Thus it will be seen that each of these devices provides a convenient and easily operable mechanism for opening cans employing a rip strip. Furthermore, in View of the fact that stems I3 and 36 do not rock, but travel substantially parallel with the can axis, a uniform pressure is provided across the transverse dimension of the strip, thereby evenly distributing the tension and minimizing the tendency of the strip to break.

Furthermore, a certain length is given to stem I3. This will accommodate the varying distances from the top of the can to the strip, and permit the device to operate equally well on any can, regardless of the distance between the top and the strip.

It will also be evident that the accumulated winding of the strip on the stem, with the increasing thickness thereof has been automatically accommodated for in each modification herein so that it will not affect the operation of the opener.

What is claimed is:

1. A portable can opener, including a handle member, elements extending laterally from one end thereof for engaging the side of a can between the lateral limits thereof and for guiding the device around the can, a crank rotatably mounted on the handle member, means on the crank for engaging a rip strip on the can for unwrapping the same to open the can when the crank is rotated.

2. A can opening device, including a base member, a U-shaped portion on said base member providing aligned bearings, abutment members on said base member and spaced laterally of said bearings, and a rotatable member mounted in said bearings and depending below said base member to engage the sealing strip of the can.

3. A can opening device, including a base member, shoulder means on the base member for engaging the can, rotatable member adapted to remove the sealing strip of the can, and means slidably mounting the rotatable member on the base member.

4. A can opening device, including a base member, shoulder means thereon to engage the can and fix the position of the device relative to the can, a rotatable member for engaging and removing the sealing strip from the can, a U-shaped element upon which said rotatable member is rotatably mounted, and means slidablymounting the U-shaped element upon the base member.

5. A can opening device of the kind described, including a base member, means thereon defining a surface adapted to extend over a portion of the top of a can, spaced shoulder elements on said means for engaging over the edge of the can at spaced points to limit the inward movement of the base member, a slide mounted on said base member between said shoulder elements, and means for engaging and removing a can sealing strip, said means being rotatably mounted on said slide.

6. A can opening device of the kind described, including a base member, means on said base member engaging over the top edge of the can,

means also on said base member engaging the side portion of the can, a U-shaped device slidably mounted on said base member, and means precluding its removal therefrom, said U-shaped device having spaced aligned bearings, a crank means mounted in said bearings, and means on said last named crank means for engaging the sealing strip of the can and removing the same.

7. A can opening device of the kind described, including a base member, said base member being formed of an elongated element having its two ends adapted to engage one surface of the can, the middle portion being bent over to engage another surface of the can, a slide mounted on said middle portion, a rotatable member mounted on said slideand extending generally between said first mentioned two ends, and means on the rotatable member to remove the sealing strip of the can.

8. A can opener device including a base member, said member having a projection thereon to engage the top of a can, lateral portions extending from said base member and having means to engage the can to prevent twisting of the device across the top of the can, a winding device supported by said base member and adapted to engage the rip strip of the can and Wind the same onto itself and off the can, said projection extending a substantial distance over the top of the can so as to insure engagement when the device is drawn back from the edge of the can by the increasing size of the Wound rip strip.

9. A can opener device including an elongated base member, a handle at one end thereof, the other end being adapted to engage over the top of a can, an overlapped extension on said last named end, said extension and said member having spaced and aligned journals, a winding handle in said journals, and a transverse portion extending from said base member inwardly from the second end thereof and adapted to engage the side of the can.

10. A can opener device including an elongated base member, a handle extending outwardly from one end thereof, the other end being adapted to extend over the top of the can, and be supported thereon, an extension on said last named end turned back to overlie said end, said extension and said base member having spaced, aligned journals therein, a winding element rotatably mounted in said journals and having means to engage the rip strip of the can and wind the same from the can, and a transverse portion extending from said base member, said transverse portion having a downwardly projecting portion engageable with the side of the can.

11. A can opening device including a base member, means on said base member engageable with the side of the can to stabilize the device in operation, a winding element having means engageable with the rip strip of the can for removing same from the can by winding it onto said winding element itself, and means mounting the winding element on the base member for sliding movement relative to the stabilizing means whereby to accommodate for the displacement of the Winding means by change in diameter of the coil wound thereon.

12. A can opening device including an elongated base element, a handle at one end thereof, the other end thereof being adapted to extend over and be supported by the top of the can, means extending laterally from said base element at the lastnamed end thereof and engageable with a portion of the can to prevent twisting of the device across the top of the can during operation, a slide mounted on said base element for movement toward and from the end thereof, a winding member rotatably mounted on said slide and having means to engage the rip strip of the can and remove the same by coiling it onto said member, said winding member projecting below said base element to engage the rip strip, and above the base element, a handle on this last portion of the winding member, and said base element having an elongated slot through which the winding member extends.

13. A can opening device including an elongated base member, a handle at one end thereof, the other end being adapted to extend over the top of the can and be supported thereby, a portion projecting laterally and backwardly from said overlying end and terminating in a downturned flange adapted to engage the side of the can to prevent twisting of the device during operation, and winding means adapted to engage and remove the rip strip of the can, mounted on said base member.

14. A can opening device including a base member engageable with a can to support itself entirely thereon, a slide mounted on said member for movement outwardly of the can, and a winding device on the slide for engagement with the rip strip of the can to remove the same from the can by coiling it upon the winding device itself, the operation of the slide accommodating for the increasing diameter of said coil.

15. A can opening device including a base member engageable around the bead of a can to support itself thereon, and projecting down against the side of the can, a Winding element mounted on the base member and projecting down adjacent the side of the can, means for rotating the winding element, and means on the winding element to engage the rip strip of the can and remove the same.

16. A can opening device including a base element, said base element engaging over the bead of a can to be supported thereby, projections on said base element extending laterally and downwardly against the side of the can to stabilize the device during operation, and a winding device supported on said base element and adapted to remove the rip strip from the can.

17. A can opener device for removing a rip strip from a can resting on a suitable support, including a base member having a portion of such size and shape as to rest on top of the can and being independent of said support in such wise as to engage said can top, a rotatable element supported on the base member and depending therefrom adjacent the side of the can, means for rotating the rotatable element to remove the rip strip from the can, and means on the base member and extending laterally from said rotatable element and adapted to abut a side of the can between the point at which the rip strip is engaged and the maximum extent of the can from such point, whereby to prevent twisting of the can relative to the opener as the rip strip is removed.

HARRY L. DAZEY. 

